Trump's lawyers argued that the justices should step in and pause his sentencing "to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency."

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke with President-elect Donald Trump about a former law clerk the day before Trump went to the high court in a push to delay the sentencing in his New York hush-money case.

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to block criminal proceedings in his hush money case in New York, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for Friday.